The Magick Job
by ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord
Summary: A cult at a college and students go missing. What is going on? Well, a concerned parent finds a certain team of thieves...and they find out about a whole new side of college life. Bad summary, better story! Please review! Slight Parker/Eliot.


Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, in NO WAY WHATSOEVER. We good? Good…

A/N: Okay, I'm in a Crime and Justice class in college, and since it's close to Halloween, we started talking about ritualistic crime. That was when I came up with idea for this story. It's dark, it's disturbing, but I'm trying not to get too dark that I need an M rating. I also want it known that I am not trying to stereotype anyone, it's just a story idea. So please, read and review. I hope you enjoy.

The Black Magick Job

"Our client is Sandra Jackson. About three months ago, her twenty-two year old daughter started getting involved in a cult that is gaining popularity at her university," Nathan Ford explained to his team.

Hardison clicked on his laptop and two pictures appeared on the viewing screens. One was of a woman around Nate and Sophie's age with long straight blonde hair, Sandra. The other picture was of a young lady around Hardison's age. She had short layered hair, blonde with purple highlights. Alicia Jackson.

"We can't force her to leave this group if she doesn't want to," Sophie stated from where she sat next to Nate.

"That's not why Mrs. Jackson called us," Nate said. "Two weeks ago, Alicia called her mother and told her that she was starting to get scared and wanted to leave the cult. She wanted to come home until things blew over.

"When Sandra didn't hear from Alicia in a few days, she drove to campus. She spoke to her daughter's roommate and learned she hadn't seen Alicia in two days. That is when she found us," Nate finished, sitting back in his chair, opening the floor to discussion.

"She thinks the cult abducted Alicia?" Sophie asked.

"It's a possibility," Eliot's southern drawl chimed in. "It all depends on how intense these people are."

"Plus there's gotta be a reason why the girl was getting scared," Hardison added. "She wouldn't be scared if it was all hippies communing with nature."

"So…what are we going to do?" Parker asked.

"We need to infiltrate the cult and find out what we can. We need to find her as soon as possible," Nate said. They were silent for a few minutes before the mastermind turned to his hitter. "Professor Sinclair…I think it's time you get a teaching job." Eliot grinned as Nate turned his chair towards the thief. "Parker…how do you feel about being an art major?"

"Umm…yay?" she said uncertainly as Nate stood up.

"Alright guys…let's go steal ourselves a cult," he said, walking to the kitchen.

Everyone looked around quietly for a moment before, "Wait, what?!"

"Nate, what do we even know about these guys? How the heck am I supposed to get in?" Eliot asked as he strolled around campus, suitcase in hand. A few of the girls he passed stared at him longingly, biting their lower lips. He let out a low growl in annoyance.

"Welcome to the world of raging female hormones my friend," Hardison said laughing.

"Shut up Hardison," he growled again.

"Eliot, focus," Nate said. "The cult is known as the Temple of Aries."

"Oh yeah, cause that's not strange," Eliot muttered.

"Focus. They worship Aries, the Greek god of war, surprise surprise."

"Why the heck would our small town girl get involved with a bunch of power hungry guys?" the hitter asked.

"Sandra said that a lot of things had happened to Alicia and now she feels weak. Makes sense that she would want to get some power and control," Nate replied.

"Yeah, but there are better ways of going about doing that than this Nate, you know that," Sophie said.

"I'm not saying I agree with her, I'm saying that sometimes, college kids don't always think things through the whole way, you know that."

Eliot walked into his classroom and looked around. "Nate…you better be ready to coach me through everything I have to say, because I have no idea what I'm talking about."

"Not a problem. Your main focus is going to be on Greek mythos. That way, if there is anyone from the cult in your class, they'll see that you might be interested in joining them. Hopefully, they'll talk to you after class or something."

"Hopefully?"

He didn't get a chance to say anymore because his students started filing in and he set about getting ready, pulling out papers, and setting up his desk.

After a few minutes had passed, he saw Parker walk in, backpack slung over her shoulder. She didn't meet his gaze, just walked in, grabbed a seat at the back of the class, pulled out a notebook and pencil and sat there.

"Parker, I just want you to watch everyone. Try and study the other students and figure out who might be involved in the Temple of Aries. We need to know fast," Nate said into the comms. Eliot saw Parker give an almost imperceptible nod and got ready.

"I am Professor Adam Sinclair and I'm taking over for Professor Farmer. Welcome to the newly revised Intro to Art…"

As he taught, there were a few students that he thought might fit the profile of someone in their cult, but so many college kids could be rebellious that he couldn't be sure if he was just stereotyping everyone or not. However, he was pleased to see that Parker was taking notes on different students, so hopefully she had a better idea and they could compare later on.

Nate had him laying it on thick about Aries, trying to lure out any of the cultists in the class. When he released them, he saw that a few of them were working a little slower at getting out of the class room and one thought stuck in his head. Bingo.

Parker walked out slowly, sending him a questioning look and he gave her the smallest of nods, telling her it was okay, he would be fine.

"Professor, we're working on an…extra credit project and we were wondering if you would be able to help us," one of a group of three boys said.

"Well, what is the project?" Eliot asked, just going with it.

"It's a research paper on Aries. You seem to know a lot about him and we were wondering if you could help us find some sources to use."

"Well, are any of you free tonight? We could meet in the library, or during office hours and see what we could find," he said, putting his papers away very casually.

"Of course. Tonight in the library would be fine. They're open until ten; what time is good for you sir?" the boy who seemed to lead asked.

"Let's meet there at seven. That way we have plenty of time."

"All right sir, we'll see you there."

"The dean is in on it!" Eliot exclaimed as he walked into Nate's loft, loosening up his tie. "He said that I would be the perfect man to help recruit new followers for the 'Temple of Aries'!"

Nate looked at Eliot in surprise. It had been a while since he had seen the hitter so fired up. "Looks like we don't just have an isolated incident then…" Nate said thoughtfully. "Hardison, could you start going through newspapers online and looking for records of missing students from the school?"

"On it boss," the hacker said, already typing away at his computer.

"Well, you have your first recruit at least," Nate said. "Parker, feel like learning how you can gain more power in your life?"

"I would like nothing better," she said, grinning.

"I want you to stay with me when we go in there," Eliot said, eyes narrowing. "I have a bad feeling about this Nate."

"Like?"

Eliot just shook his head and sat down. "The thing is we can wrap this up fast. The next meeting is tonight, so I take Parker, get in, find Alicia and get out. We can get enough evidence to take down the dean and the whole campus if we have to."

"Nate…this isn't good man," Hardison said from his computer. "I have five girls missing since the new dean took over. This doesn't look good…at all…"

"When did the first one disappear?" Nate asked, walking over and standing behind the Hacker, leaning over the back of his chair.

"The dean took over at the start of term two months ago. The first disappearance was four weeks ago."

"Five girls in four weeks?" Nate asked as Sophie gasped, Parker's eyes widened and Eliot tensed up. "Eliot, take Parker and go now. Try and find out where these girls are."

Eliot nodded and he and Parker put in their comms, headed out the door and got into Eliot's truck. "Like I said Parker, Stay with me. Do not leave my sight."

"I won't Eliot, it's fine," she said. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"What could possibly go wrong? Seriously?!" Eliot snarled. He and Parker were surrounded by six of the cult members, and not even Eliot thought he could take them all down.

"You didn't think you were obvious? Showing up out of the blue, speaking about the almighty Aries? My students were on the lookout, especially after precious Alicia betrayed us," Dean Meyers said as he paced in front of a rudimentary altar. "She was supposed to be the first sacrifice, but now, now I think we'll use your pretty little friend there. Alicia can wait."

"Yeah, and if you think I'm just going to let you take her," Eliot said, jerking his head in Parker's direction, "you've got another thing coming."

"Professor, you don't have a choice in the matter," the dean said as two of the guys jumped at them. Eliot pushed Parker behind him and kicked one guy in the ribs, hearing a satisfying crunch. "That rib's broken," he said, grinning. He lunged at the other guy, striking out with a karate chop to the throat. The cultist clutched at his throat, gasping for breath as he went down onto one knee.

The next second he was being jumped on by six or seven guys and had to struggle to try and keep his balance. Soon he was on the ground, and through the thrashing of limbs, he saw two of them grab Parker. "PARKER!" he roared.

He was hit in the side of the head, dazing him significantly and two of the men took hold of him. As his vision cleared, he saw the dean stick Parker with a syringe and plunge the fluid into her. She whimpered, struggling to get away before she stilled and slumped in her arms of her captors, unconscious.

"Don't worry 'Professor'," the dean said. "She's not dead. We just don't want her to feel any pain and start screaming, it would alert the authorities. Speaking of which," and he nodded to someone behind Eliot. The hitter heard something tear and a moment later, duct tape was covering his mouth. "We don't want you screaming either."

Eliot watched as the two guys carried Parker up to the altar and laid her down, but he didn't fight the men who held him. They could very well drug him too and then he would have no chance to help Parker.

He planned out his movements as he saw the dean dawn a robe and take the dagger that was offered to him by the other cultists. Eliot knew that it was now or never. He jumped up and used the force to shove the two goons holding him into one another, effectively knocking each other out. Then, instead of going after the other men, he lunged at the dean and tackled the man away from Parker. There was a minute of struggle before Eliot came out the victor and held the dagger to the Dean Meyers' throat. He stood up and showed the other cultists, moving to Parker's side.

"Where are the other girls that you have abducted?" he snarled. After assessing the situation, three of them moved off. "Nate, tell me you have cops on the way," he muttered into the comm., thankful it was still on.

"They're almost to you," the mastermind said in Eliot's ear. "What about Parker? Is she okay?"

Eliot gazed down at the blonde, her eyes closed, but her chest rising and falling steadily. "I think so, just unconscious. She's gonna be freaked out when she comes to."

"We'll take care of it, don't worry. Hardison fed the cops information that you're undercover, so they won't go after you."

"Nate, the next time I say 'I have a bad feeling about this', we…"

"We listen to you."

"Parker…Parker, can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered open lazily. She was so tired, but that voice had been calling to her for as long as she had been aware and she knew she would have to wake up before it left her alone.

The thief's vision was hazy and she had to blink slowly to try and clear it. When she did, she found herself staring up at Eliot. "Eliot…wh…what happened?" she asked, sitting up quickly. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she swayed, but he pulled her into his arms and held her steady.

"It's okay, we're safe. Nate called the police and I was able to hold off the cultists until they got there. Then I brought you home."

She looked around and saw Nate and Sophie over in the kitchen and Hardison in the chair, working on his laptop. "We're safe?"

"Yeah, we're safe." Parker nodded and rested her head on Eliot's shoulder, her eyes drifting closed. "Whatever they used on you was pretty strong. How do you feel?"

"Sleepy…" she murmured and he stroked his hair.

"Any nausea?" he asked. She shook her head. "Achy?"

"No…Did we find the girls?"

Eliot grinned. Drugged and almost killed and she was still worrying about others before her. "They're fine. All of them have been taken to the hospital for examinations and their families have been contacted. They're going to be okay."

She nodded again and grinned. "Professor Sinclair?"

Eliot grinned too. "What is it Ms. Krook?"

"Permission to sleep in class?" she asked as she nuzzled his neck.

"Permission granted. Get some rest Parker."

He stood up and let her stretch out on the couch. Eliot pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her, tucking her in and brushing some hair away from her face. She smiled at him and let her eyes fall closed again. He watched her until he was sure she was sleeping and then stood.

Walking over to the kitchen, he grabbed an apple and leaned against the counter next to Nate. "Hey Nate?"

"How is Parker?" the mastermind asked.

"She's okay. Woke up for a few minutes, but she went back to sleep. Anyway, I have a request for all future jobs."

"Yeah?" Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No more crazy psycho cults please. I don't think I'm ever going to look at Halloween the same way again for the rest of my life…or Greek mythology in that case."

Nate just grinned and shook his head as Eliot elbowed him in the chest and headed back over to where Parker and Hardison were and got into an argument with the hacker over what movie to watch. Mom and Dad watched the kids and wondered when the next psycho would come along and need to be stopped. But for right now, they were just happy to be together and relatively okay.

"Sophie?"

"Yes Nate?"

"I swear, if I ever see you twitch your nose, and Eliot turns into a ballerina...I am out the door."

Sophie just laughed before the two of them walked over and joined the hitter, hacker and unconscious thief. Sitting in one of the chairs and pulling the grifter his lap, Nate thought that even though they had come close to losing two of their own, things would be okay. He just had to make sure that next time he was walking down the street he didn't walk under any more ladders.

A/N: I had to throw the ladder thing in at the end, in order to end on a lighter note. I know this is kind of like…whoa, where the heck did this come from. Believe me, I have no idea. However, I am doing it as a shout out for kausingkayn's birthday! Happy Birthday sweetie!


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